WASHINGTON — Democrats pushed hard to revive President Barack Obama’s stalled health care overhaul Friday — and pointed to glimmers of hope — but the long odds facing them seemed little changed after Obama’s extraordinary summit with both parties’ leaders.
At the White House, press secretary Robert Gibbs said Obama would unveil a “way forward” next week on legislation that has been his foremost domestic priority.
Obama, who will first discuss the strategy with Democratic congressional leaders, said at the bipartisan marathon Thursday that he is open to several Republican ideas, including medical malpractice changes.
On Capitol Hill, a pair of retiring Democrats who opposed the legislation when the House approved it in November appeared willing to reconsider. And some supporters of a House provision strictly banning federal financing for abortion — a complicated sticking point — indicated an openness to different language.
The outcome could affect nearly all Americans, remaking the way they pay for health care, the kinds of care they are likely to receive and where they are likely to get it.
Or there could be smaller changes, or none — outcomes the Democrats say will lead to crushing budget problems and tens of millions of people still being left out. Republicans see problems in the health care system too, but they recommend less far-reaching prescriptions.
Despite the signs of movement a day after Obama’s unusual, televised, day-long discussion on the topic, there were no clear indications of a major change in Congress.
The equation remained the same: Democratic leaders, especially in the House, will have to scramble to find votes to pass any health legislation, and they’ll almost certainly need to do it without GOP support. Democrats have doubts as well.
“People who voted ‘yes’ would love a second bite at the apple to vote ‘no’ this time because they went home and got an unpleasant experience,” said Rep. Jason Altmire, D-Pa.
“On the other hand,” he added, “I don’t know anybody who voted ‘no’ who regrets it.”
Top Democrats spoke of plunging ahead anyway.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said she saw “good prospects” for passing health legislation and contended that the summit showed a GOP content to accept insurance companies bullying consumers.
That was echoed in the Senate by No. 2 Democratic leader Richard Durbin of Illinois, who said: “We are not going to wait.”
The Democrats seem ready to use “reconciliation,” a rarely used procedure that allows passing legislation in the Senate with a simple majority.
